Picture the elegance of Landhaus Borsig. This grand house on the Reiherwerder peninsula whispers tales of a bygone era. It stands proudly overlooking the Tegeler See a testament to the Borsig family’s influence.
Landhaus Borsig is more than just a beautiful building. It’s a symbol of industrial success. The Borsig family built their empire on locomotives. Ernst Borsig moved the family business from Oranienburger Vorstadt to Tegel in 1898. He then purchased the islands of Großer and Kleiner Reiherwerder from the von Humboldt family. These became the site of Landhaus Borsig.
Initially a simpler house was built in 1908. It quickly proved inadequate for Ernst’s ambitions. He commissioned architects Alfred Salinger and Eugen Schmohl to design a new villa. He wanted it to resemble Potsdam’s Sanssouci Palace. The result was stunning. Construction of the current Landhaus Borsig lasted from 1911 to 1913. It served as the Borsig family’s residence until 1937.
After Ernst von Borsig’s death in 1933 the estate was sold to the German Reich. It became the site of the Reichsfinanzakademie. The Second World War altered its purpose. After the war the Landhaus became the residence of the French commander. It was also temporarily a guesthouse for Berlin and West Germany.
Interestingly enough Chancellor Helmut Kohl considered making it the official Chancellor’s residence. Gerhard Schröder however preferred the more modest Villa Wurmbach. The Landhaus Borsig experienced a transformation beginning in 2003. It became the Akademie Auswärtiger Dienst the Foreign Office Academy. Today the Landhaus Borsig serves as a guesthouse for the Foreign Office. The surrounding buildings are used for training diplomats. Millions of euros were invested in the renovation and expansion. The grounds are unfortunately not open to the public. But the story of Landhaus Borsig lives on a legacy of industrial prowess and diplomatic training.